Capitol Hill Seattle reports that a woman struck by an open car door on 14th Avenue near Marion last week was sent to the hospital with a broken shoulder and stitches. The person responsible is apparently a Seattle University student who was running late for class.

To add insult to injury, the student took the bike as well.

UPDATE 2/27: We just learned that Seattle U campus security helped track down the woman responsible, and the victim’s bike has been recovered. From the victim’s mom:

The great news is as of an hour ago we actually found the girl! The bike was left at Seattle University campus and they were able to find video surveillance and locate the girl who hit my daughter.

As difficult as this has been I am very thankful and grateful my daughter was not more seriously hurt, but that her bike has also been recovered too.

Recycled Cycles had offered to replace her bike if she was unable to locate it, which is totally cool of them. It’s great to hear that won’t be needed.

Mom Jennifer has reached out to CHS for help tracking down the driver in a car vs. bike hit and run last Thursday afternoon near 14th/Marion. The driver left the scene — with the victim’s bike. Jennifer is hoping to get the bike back and get the driver’s insurance information to help deal with her daughter’s medical bills from the injuries suffered in the collision:

I am hoping you can help me with a situation that happened last week on Capitol Hill. On Thursday, February 21st at 2:07pm on 14th and Marion, my daughter was riding her bike and was doored by a Seattle University student. Unfortunately, this young woman, also took my daughter’s bike since my daughter needed to go to the ER. The phone# was lost during the chaos of my daughter being hit. The only information we have on this girl is she goes to Seattle University and she told my daughter she was running late for class.

I would like to request your assistance to see if you could put this on the Capitol Hill blog so we can hopefully locate this girl. We are looking for any witness or hopefully the girl will come forward.

My daughter was seriously hurt and we need to get this situation resolved.

Jennifer says her daughter suffered a broken shoulder and required stitches for a head injury. Details on the car and driver are scant — the car was described only as a “newer sedan.”

If you have more information, call the East Precinct non-emergency number at (206) 684-4318 and refer to incident #13-61119.

Hit and run when the motorist departs after the victim is transported to the emergency room along with her phone number? I do hope this turns out well regardless, but how would the motorist contact the cyclist unless she happens to read the right source? Of course, the PROPER thing for the motorist to do at this point is to leave her info and particulars with the SPD.

I’d like to suggest that this shows how important it is for bike lanes to have adequate separation from parked cars. I don’t know if there is a bike lane where this person got struck, but there are so many bike lanes that are not wide enough to both avoid traffic and car doors. You have to pick one or the other.

Jennifer, or someone on her behalf, should request a copy of the 911 calls. In addition, the Seattle Fire Dept. creates an incident report or log that usually contains the names and phone number(s) of all callers who in turn could be contacted. In an accident like this, there were likely several witnesses. Perhaps someone knows something that is not in police report. For the same reason, she should contact AMR or whichever ambulance company took her daughter to the hospital.

She should also call SU, office of student affairs, explain the situation and ask them to send a blast mail to their students. The driver may have taken the bike for safekeeping and is waiting to be notified. A long shot, but worth the call.

Finally, Jennifer’s daughter may be entitled to insurance benefits under either her own auto policy or Jennifer (PIP) benefits. So Jennifer should call her own auto insurer and notify them of the accident. This type of claim should not result in any premium increase.

In 2011, thirty four percent of all bicycle v car accidents involved bikes traveling in the same direction as the traffic is moving. Included in this category are drivers who “door” the cyclist. Believe it or not, this represents a significant drop from the 1999-2008 data.

Someone Else: Actually, you are incorrect. Washington State law explicitly puts responsibility in the door-opener’s lap, so please make sure the coast is clear before opening your door into any traffic, no matter what kind of traffic it may be:

RCW 46.61.620
Opening and closing vehicle doors.

No person shall open the door of a motor vehicle on the side adjacent to moving traffic unless and until it is reasonably safe to do so, and can be done without interfering with the movement of other traffic, nor shall any person leave a door open on the side of a vehicle adjacent to moving traffic for a period of time longer than necessary to load or unload passengers.

This article seems a little misleading….so the driver of the car gave her phone number to the cyclist an then the cyclist lost it? That doesn’t exactly sound like a hit & run combined with bike theft…. Obviously a sad situation, but if the driver gave her personal info to the cyclist and then offered to take the bike because the victim wa being transported via ambulance, then this whole incident doesn’t seem deliberately malicious, just a big mess. Hopefully the driver contacts SPD with her info and returns the bike.

Yeah, I agree with Pete- this article is a bit confusing. I would be careful about suggesting the driver is a thief until you know more about the situation- it’s entirely plausible that the driver might have been holding it for her.

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